# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1998_S108
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

108

RESOLUTIONS

To Track and Serve Transfers In and Out
RESOLUTION 2-07
Report R2-01 (CW, pp. 20–28); Overture 2-38 (CW,
p. 137)
WHEREAS, “Backdoor losses” (those released from membership and those released to other Lutheran bodies) in the
congregations of the Synod range from 55,000 to 70,000
souls annually; and
WHEREAS, 50 percent of those who move do not request
transfer of membership; and
WHEREAS, 50 percent of those released from membership
involve people who have moved at least 40 miles from their
previous residence; and
WHEREAS, God’s people are encouraged to follow the Savior, who commended the shepherd who left the 99 and
searched for the lost sheep (Luke 15:3–7); therefore be it
Resolved, That all congregations are urged to develop an
intentional process that contacts, welcomes, orients, instructs, and serves all transfers in and move-ins; and be it
further
Resolved, That all congregations are urged to assist their
members who move by informing them of synodical congregations in their new community, by explaining and encouraging a speedy transfer of membership, and by encouraging the potential receiving congregations to seek and to
serve them; and be it further
Resolved, That all congregations are urged to strengthen
their internal life and relationships so that people are attracted to and kept in the fellowship of believers; and be it
finally
Resolved, That the Board for Congregational Services
develop a uniform procedure which assists congregations
in implementing this process.
Action: Adopted (10)
(The committee consented to add the words are urged to after
all congregations in the first three resolves.)

partment of Youth Ministry regions, from a slate of
three nominees per region, shall be by plurality.
The regions shall be identified as follows:
REGION ONE—WEST COAST/MOUNTAIN, including the
following Districts: Pacific-Southwest, CaliforniaNevada-Hawaii, Northwest, Rocky Mountain, Wyoming,
and Montana.
REGION TWO—UPPER MID-WEST, including the following Districts: South and North Wisconsin, Iowa West,
Iowa East, Minnesota North and South, North and
South Dakota.
REGION THREE —SOUTHERN/MID-WEST, including the
following Districts: Southern, Mid-South, Missouri,
Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and Nebraska.
REGION FOUR—EAST COAST, including the following
Districts: Southeastern, Eastern, Atlantic, New England, New Jersey, Florida/Georgia, SELC, and English.
REGION FIVE—CENTRAL, including the following Districts: Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Northern, Central, and
Southern Illinois.
b. A slate of no fewer than three candidates per region shall be presented as nominees for the Executive
Board. Nominees shall be solicited from District youth
ministry boards/committees and from District youth
ministry executives and chairpersons. Nominees may
also be nominated by the Council of LYF Representatives. The Council shall review the slate and certify it
for presentation to the Delegate Assembly.
Resolved, That Bylaw 3.805 be amended as follows:
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING
3.805 Membership
4 5 youth of the Synod elected by their peers at a
Lutheran Youth Fellowship Delegate Assembly, who
shall not be younger than 15 years of age nor older than
18 years of age at the time of their election.

Action: Adopted (6)

To Revise Bylaw 3.803
RESOLUTION 2-09

To Revise Bylaws on Membership
of Conference of Congregational Services
RESOLUTION 2-08
Overture 2-72 (CW, p. 147)
Rationale:
The current membership of the Conference of Congregational Services calls for “four youth of the Synod elected by
their peers at a Lutheran Youth Fellowship Delegate Assembly, who shall not be younger than 15 years of age nor
older than 18 years of age at the time of their election” [approved by 1995 synodical convention].
The 1997 Council of District Lutheran Youth Fellowship
Representatives [CLYFR] approved the following change
regarding the election of the LYF Executive Board:
Elections of the LYF Executive Board shall be done
at the triennial meetings of the LYF Delegate Assembly
at the national LCMS youth gathering.
a. The Executive Board shall consist of five persons.
Election of five persons, one from each of the five De-

Overture 2-54 (CW, p. 142)
WHEREAS, The 1995 convention of the Synod in its extensive bylaw revisions did not retain the historical and
widely respected statement, “Assist congregations in arranging and carrying out a comprehensive and effective
program of Christian education, especially counseling that
the most effective agencies available to the church for
equipping children and youth for ministry are the full-time
Lutheran elementary and secondary schools, so that the
Gospel of Jesus Christ may become even more effective in
the life of the individual Christian and of the congregation”;
and
WHEREAS, Many congregations of the Synod continue to
validate this through increased interest in opening and
supporting Lutheran elementary and secondary schools;
therefore be it
Resolved, That Bylaw 3.803 be revised by restoring
the following as function 8:
“8. Assistance to congregations in arranging and carrying out a comprehensive and effective program of